What’s it all about:

Barking is situated 9 miles east of central London and was once a thriving fishing port until the mid-19th Century. Expansion during the 20’s and 30’s brought a good supply of larger homes to the area as well as smaller Victorian terraces closer to the town centre. Today, however, Barking is a town in the midst of change, with an imaginative town centre scheme bringing architecturally designed brightly coloured flats as well as a 20-year plan to build thousands of homes and community facilities on Barking’s 430-acre Riverside site.

Despite gradual increases over the years, Barking still remains the cheapest London borough in which to buy a home, making it an ideal location for first-time buyers. The average house price here is around £300,000, significantly less than the London average making this a good place to invest and get onto the property ladder.

Culture & Development:

Barking is a town with a long history and bright future with east London’s largest single regeneration project — Barking Riverside — now steaming ahead on a large brownfield riverside site south of the town centre.

The vision for what is effectively a new town includes an extension of the Overground from Barking to the riverfront, a promenade, bars, restaurants, public squares, wildlife reserves and a marina with a riverboat service to and from London.

This massive 15-year project will deliver 10,800 new homes housing 29,000 people on a former power station site on a two-kilometre stretch of the River Thames.

Transport:

Tube – Barking & Upney (Zone 4) London Underground

Rail – Barking Railway Station